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Fergus is built around seeing your workflow and cash flow clearly. Stagex takes the next step — the client funds each stage into escrow before you start, so the cash flow you see is cash flow you can bank on.
No credit card. No lock-in. Funds held by a licensed Australian trustee.
The row no job-management app can tick
Every other tradie app helps you send the invoice faster. Stagex makes sure the money is already there before you pick up a tool — ring-fenced in a regulated Australian trust account (Zai Pty Ltd, AFSL 461841) and released the moment each stage is signed off. That is the difference between getting paid faster and getting paid, full stop.
Fergus is job-management software built around workflow and cash-flow visibility, popular with plumbers and electricians across Australia and New Zealand. Here is where each genuinely fits — no spin.
Fergus is strong on job workflow and cash-flow visibility. Stagex’s edge is that the money behind that visibility is already secured, stage by stage.
| Feature | Stagex | Fergus |
|---|---|---|
| Funds held in escrow before work starts | Yes. The client funds each stage into a regulated Australian trust account (Zai Pty Ltd, AFSL 461841) before you pick up a tool. Released stage-by-stage on sign-off. | No. Fergus is job-management software — it sends the invoice, it does not hold or guarantee the customer's money. |
| How you actually get paid | Milestone funds are already in escrow. Mark the stage done, client signs off, money lands within 7 days — typically 1-2 business days via NPP. No invoice to chase. | Invoice + online payment links. Faster to send, but the customer still chooses whether and when to pay. Fergus does not de-risk the payment itself.[1] |
| Cash-flow & workflow visibility | Escrow status per stage shows exactly what is funded and what is released. | Strong cash-flow and workflow dashboards — a core Fergus strength for tracking margin across jobs.[1] |
| Does the money actually arrive? | Yes — it is pre-funded in escrow and releases on sign-off, so forecast equals reality. | Fergus shows you what you are owed, but collecting it still depends on the client paying the invoice. |
| Payment protection if a client won’t pay | Completed-stage funds are already in escrow. File evidence; structured dispute resolution releases them. | None — an unpaid invoice remains yours to chase. |
| Job costing & margin tracking | Milestone-level tracking of quoted vs funded vs released amounts. | Detailed job costing and margin visibility — mature and well-regarded.[1] |
| Accounting integration | Two-way Xero sync. | Integrates with Xero and MYOB.[1] |
Funds held in escrow before work starts
Yes. The client funds each stage into a regulated Australian trust account (Zai Pty Ltd, AFSL 461841) before you pick up a tool. Released stage-by-stage on sign-off.
No. Fergus is job-management software — it sends the invoice, it does not hold or guarantee the customer's money.
How you actually get paid
Milestone funds are already in escrow. Mark the stage done, client signs off, money lands within 7 days — typically 1-2 business days via NPP. No invoice to chase.
Invoice + online payment links. Faster to send, but the customer still chooses whether and when to pay. Fergus does not de-risk the payment itself.[1]
Cash-flow & workflow visibility
Escrow status per stage shows exactly what is funded and what is released.
Strong cash-flow and workflow dashboards — a core Fergus strength for tracking margin across jobs.[1]
Does the money actually arrive?
Yes — it is pre-funded in escrow and releases on sign-off, so forecast equals reality.
Fergus shows you what you are owed, but collecting it still depends on the client paying the invoice.
Payment protection if a client won’t pay
Completed-stage funds are already in escrow. File evidence; structured dispute resolution releases them.
None — an unpaid invoice remains yours to chase.
Job costing & margin tracking
Milestone-level tracking of quoted vs funded vs released amounts.
Detailed job costing and margin visibility — mature and well-regarded.[1]
Accounting integration
Two-way Xero sync.
Integrates with Xero and MYOB.[1]
A tick in the Fergus column means Fergus genuinely leads on that row. We call it where they do.
Sources
Claims about Fergus reflect its own public product and pricing pages as at 2026. Feature sets change — confirm current details on fergus.com. Stagex is not affiliated with or endorsed by Fergus.
Trustee-held escrow
Zai Pty Ltd · AFSL 461841
7-day payouts
After milestone sign-off
No lock-in
Month-to-month, cancel anytime
Dispute cover
Funds already set aside
If your main need is job costing and margin dashboards across lots of live jobs, Fergus is very good at that. If your real risk is getting paid on staged work, Stagex is purpose-built: it holds each stage in escrow before you start, so the cash flow is certain, not just visible.
No. Fergus gives you excellent visibility of what you are owed, but it does not hold or guarantee the customer’s funds. Stagex holds each milestone in a regulated Australian trust account (Zai Pty Ltd, AFSL 461841) before work starts.
A dashboard tells you what should arrive. Escrow means it will — the client funds each stage up front, and it releases within days of sign-off. You are forecasting money that is already set aside, not money you still have to collect.
Within 7 days of the client signing off a milestone — typically 1-2 business days via NPP.
Stagex Professional is $59/mo. The first $30,000 funded into escrow per job is fee-free; above that a flat 1.6% escrow fee applies to the amount over $30,000. Fergus prices per user — check fergus.com for current plans.
Cancel anytime. Bring one staged job through Stagex this week and see what guaranteed, chase-free payment feels like.
Stage by stage. Always paid.